The Corkscrew Cafe in Carmel Valley Village is a cottage restaurant with something you won’t find elsewhere: an actual corkscrew museum inside. Your dog won’t be joining you in there, but you’ll have plenty of reason to linger on the garden patio instead, which is where the real magic happens for dog owners.

The patio is genuinely lovely—surrounded by lush greenery and the herbs the kitchen actually uses in their cooking. It’s the kind of space where you can settle in for a while without feeling rushed, and your dog can stretch out comfortably while you eat. The menu shifts between brunch, lunch, and dinner, with an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients. A lot of what they serve comes straight from their own garden, so there’s real care going into what lands on your plate. They’re not fussy about special requests either; the staff seems genuinely interested in making sure everyone—including your dog—is comfortable.

Carmel Valley Village itself is worth exploring before or after you eat. The area has a small-town feel despite being in Monterey County, with the kind of walkable layout where you could spend an afternoon browsing shops and galleries. The village sits in a protected valley, so you get a completely different microclimate than you’d find closer to the coast—warmer and often sunnier, which makes the patio dining even more appealing.

Pack a blanket or mat for your dog if you have one; having their own spot on the patio makes the experience more comfortable for them. The cafe doesn’t have the frenetic energy of busier restaurants, so it’s actually a relaxed environment for dogs who do better with a quieter atmosphere. If you’re planning a weekend trip to this part of Monterey County, Corkscrew Cafe is worth timing your meal around—especially if the weather’s cooperating and you can snag a good table on the patio.